The Town of Rockland faces a quiet Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with only a few contested federal and state races and some unopposed local ones determining its representation.

The headline races on the town’s District 101 ballot this year are for governor, congressional representatives, state senator, assembly and comptroller.

Running uncontested for office locally on these tickets are Robert Eggleton for Town Supervisor, Robert Decker for Superintendent of Highways and both Amy E. Joyce and Jennifer G. Sober for Supreme Court Justice.

NY District 51 candidates

Michele Frazier and Chris Tague are facing off for State Senator in District 51. The seat opened following the departure of Peter Oberacker, who is running for Congress.

Frazier, a resident of Delhi, is a former Oneonta City Councilmember. This is her second attempt at gaining the same Senate seat, after losing to Oberacker in 2024. She is a supporter of better housing, childcare and mental health services.

Her opponent, Chris Tague, is on the Republican Conservative ticket and is the current New York Assemblyman for District 102, since first taking office in 2018. He was the former Schoharie town supervisor.

He focuses on public safety, agriculture and first responders.

This is the first full election cycle under New York’s new two-year term structure. Some town elections moved to even-numbered years, with some of the candidates coming back on the ballot again this year before they resume regular two-year terms.

19th Congressional District candidates

Running to represent Rockland in Congress are Democrat Josh Riley and Republican Peter Oberacker.

Riley was born and raised in Endicott, NY, which he says gives him a unique perspective on the issues affecting the state’s working class. As the incumbent congressman in the 19th District, Riley is the favorite to be re-elected.

His challenger, Peter Oberacker, who is originally from Merrick, NY, worked in his family’s business in Otsego County from a young age.

Manor Ink invited town voters to suggest questions for the candidates on matters that mean the most to the community. These are the questions Manor Ink posed to the candidates’ campaigns:

What do you think about federal cuts under the Trump administration to NY State for public school funding?
What is your stance on keeping waste-to-energy power-generating facilities out of the county?
Would you support plans for data centers in the district should regulations and safeguards be passed by the state?
How can federal policy ensure big tech companies are later held responsible for physical e-waste and decommissioned hardware left behind in the state?
While legislation successfully addresses energy costs, what steps are taken at the federal level to minimize the strain on municipal waste management facilities?
Would you support AI data centers as a way to broaden the Sullivan County’s tax base?
What is your position on continuing to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE?

Congressman Riley’s views

Though his office did not respond to Manor Ink’s request for comment before press time, Riley’s positions can be surmised from his campaign’s website.

Riley wants to expand public education and has been firmly against the cuts to school funding by prohibiting defunding schools with the money given to the Department of Education.

He is against less stringent restrictions on pollution and is attempting to make corporate polluters liable for environmental cleanup.

He also campaigns on protecting natural resources such as the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, and wants an overall update to environmental policies an infrastructure.

These concepts also affect his beliefs regarding power-hungry data centers. He has authored legislation to prevent power upgrade costs caused by data center usage from increasing rates charged to local businesses and families. “Upstate New Yorkers shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for massive data centers that none of us asked for,” said Riley in a posting on his website. He also plans on lowering monthly energy bills by making state-mandated utility fees tax deductible.

While Riley remains more centrist on ICE, he has voted against the agency and opposed expansions without proper guardrails. He says that masked officers tearing families apart doesn’t make our country safer. He plans on lowering monthly energy bills by making state-mandated utility fees tax deductible.

Assemblyman Oberacker’s answers

Manor Ink posed these same questions to Peter Oberacker’s campaign office via email and their responses provided insight into his positions.

The senator’s campaign said he was dedicated to ensuring that federal money allocated to schools is actually going to its intended purpose, specifically the funding of special education and school meals.

Oberacker feels it is up to local communities to decide whether to accept data centers, and that companies must pay for grid upgrades and must include post-decommissioning bonds when communities agree to host them. He says that new data centers must also supply their own energy.

To combat the rising cost of home heating fuels, Oberacker supports an all-of-the-above approach to energy generation, one that includes nuclear and natural gas.

Finally, the assemblyman supports fully funding ICE and wants to continue securing the border lawfully. But he also favors a legal immigrant workforce across NY to work on the state’s many dairy farms.

Your vote counts

Tuesday, Nov. 3, Election Day, is a date many readers are likely tired of hearing about in the last months. Overly familiar campaign messages have been a constant presence online, on cable TV and radio, and in mailboxes around the county. All that, however, will thankfully end on Tuesday.

All that remains is for Sullivan County citizens to head to their assigned polling places and cast their votes. Elections are a defining feature of democracy, and our participation in them is a civic duty, one we are lucky to have.

To that end, Town of Rockland voters have two locations in which to cast their ballots. In Livingston Manor, the polling place for registered voters in Rockland 1, 2, 5 and 6 is the Manor Firehouse, 93 Main St.; in Roscoe, Rockland 3 and 4, it’s in the Roscoe Community Center, 1968 Old Rte. 17.

For voters outside the Town of Rockland, voting locations can be found at sullivanny.gov/Departments/Elections/VotingTimes. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Vote!

The 2026 Town of Rockland ballot

Here is a list of candidates appearing on the ballot for voters in the Town of Rockland. This information is intended to provide a snapshot of candidates’ policies and backgrounds. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. To learn if you are registered to vote, or to learn of your district and polling location, go to voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

Governor and Lt. Governor

KATHY HOCHUL - Democrat (Incumbent), Biography: Born in Buffalo, NY; resides in Albany, NY; married with two children, Education: Syracuse University, Catholic University of America, Employment: Former NY Lt. Governor, Policies: Universal child care, pre-K programs; freeze state college tuition rates; statewide school cell phone ban; ban on DIY guns

ADRIENNE E. ADAMS - Democrat, Biography: Born in Elmhurst NY; resides in Jamaica, Queens; married with four children, Education: Spelman College, Employment: Speaker, NY City Council

BRUCE BLAKEMAN - Republican, Biography: Born in Oceanside, NY; resides in Nassau, NY; married with two children, Education: Arizona State University; California Western School of Law, Employment: Nassau County Executive, Policies: Eliminate state income tax for some filers; repeal congestion tolling; end NY’s sanctuary status; lift ban on fracking

TODD HOOD - Republican, Biography: Born in Oneida, NY; resides in Madison County, NY; married with three children, Education: Springfield College Employment: Madison County Sheriff

Attorney General

LETITIA JAMES - Democrat (Incumbent), Biography: Born in Park Slope, Brooklyn; resides in Delhi, NY; married with three children, Education: Lehman College, Howard University School of Law, Columbia University, Employment: Former public defender, New York City Public Advocate, Policies: Advocate of fair business practices; ban surveillance pricing; favors DEI initiatives, police accountability; regulate AI

SARITHA KOMATIREDDY - Republican, Biography: Born in Brooklyn, NY; resides in New York City; married with four children, Education: Harvard University, Harvard Law School, Employment: Deputy chief of general crimes, US Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, Policies: Prosecute terrorists; reject socialism; combat cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering

19th Congressional District

JOSH RILEY - Democrat (Incumbent), Biography: Born in Endicott, NY; resides in Ithaca, NY; married with two children, Education: College of William

& Mary; Harvard Law School, Employment: Former analyst at the Dept. of Labor; counsel to Senator Al Franken, Policies: Lower utility costs; corporations pay for AI data center costs; expand Medicare drug price negotiations; eliminate federal tax on Social Security

PETER OBERACKER - Republican, Biography: Born in Merrick, NY; resides in Schenevus, NY; married, two children, Education: SUNY Delhi, Employment: Currently NY State Senator, District 51; founder, FormTech Solutions, Policies: Opposes expanded state budgets; opposes electric vehicle and zero-emission mandates; wants to expand high-speed rural broadband; seeks economic relief, infrastructural support for upstate communities

NY State Senate, 51st District

MICHELE FRAZIER - Democrat (Incumbent), Biography: Born in Oneonta, NY; resides in Delhi, NY; married with three children, Education: University of Chicago; Harvard University, Employment: Former Oneonta city councilmember; assistant professor, Policies: Increase housing stock; better access to child care, health care

CHRISTOPHER W. TAGUE - Republican, Biography: Born in Schoharie, NY; resides in Schoharie; married with children, Education: Schoharie Central School, Employment: Assemblyman, District 102, Policies: Expand broadband access; support small businesses; reduce taxes; repair state infrastructure; combat heroin epidemic

Other candidates on the ballot

NY Comptroller

THOMAS P. DiNAPOLI - Democrat

JOSEPH FERNANDEZ - Republican

These candidates on the Rockland ballot are running unopposed.

Assemblyman, District 101

BRIAN M. MAHER - Republican

Town of Rockland Supervisor

ROB EGGLETON - Republican

Superintendent of Highways

ROGER S. DECKER - Democrat, Conservative

Supreme Court Justice, Judicial District 3

AMY E. JOYCE, JENNIFER SOBER - Democrat